Button holder

ABSTRACT

A BUTTON HOLDER COMPRISING A MOUNTING FOR SUPPORTING A BUTTON AT ONE END, A PLASTIC SHANK OF A POLYMER RESIN OR THE LIKE HAVING TELESCOPING INTERLOCKING PORTIONS FOR ADJUSTING THE LENGTH OF SHANK TO THE THICKNESS OF THE GARMENT ON WHICH USED, A PROTECTIVE RETAINER SLEEVE ON THE SHANK POSITIONABLE TO SHIELD THE THREAD SECURING THE BUTTON TO THE SHANK, AND A SHIELDED SNAP FASTENER CONNECTING THE BASE WITH THE GARMENT.

June 8, 1971 J. Q WMM 3,583,03@

BUTTON HOLDER Filed March 26, 1969 lnvemor Churloi'e J, Cczkowskiwlk Aiorney United States Patent O 3,583,038 BUTTON HOLDER Charlotte I. Oczkowski Willi, 2441 N. Kildare Ave., Chicago, Ill. 60639 Filed Mar. 26, 1969, Ser. No. 810,719 Int. Cl. A44b 1/18 U.S. Cl. 24--90 8 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A button holder comprising a mounting for supporting a button at one end, a plastic shank of a polymer resin or the like having telescoping interlocking portions for adjusting the length of shank to the thickness of the garment on which used, a protective retainer sleeve on the shank positionable to shield the thread securing the button to the shank, and a shielded snap fastener connecting the base with the garment.

DISCUSSION OF THE PRIOR ART In prior art devices no provision has been made to adjust the shank to the thickness of the cloth and only superficial, if any, means has been provided to shield the thread from abrasion and loss of usually not replaceable buttons. Fastening of the buttons as in U.S. Pat. 1,258,942 is to metal Shanks which admit only precisely preshaped buttons. The previous constructions have been impractical and expensive.

A general object of the invention is to provide a novel button holder which is made of plastic such as nylon, which can be easily molded, and is adjustable longitudinally and also deflectible to accommodate easy buttoning and unbuttoning and which comprises means for shielding the securing thread.

A further object is to provide a novel button holder in which the outer portion is provided with a concave ange against which the back side of the button is placed, the ange being flexible transversely toward the button and being stressed when the button is sewn on thus maintaining the securing thread taut.

A different object of the invention is to provide a novel button holder in which a snap fastening is provided comprising a flat metal female element which is adapted to be sewn to the garment and a male element on the inner end of the shank made of nylon and the like plastic including a base which will hold securely against the metal element and deform to its contour to provide a rm anchor for the shank and a shield for the thread sewn through the female element.

These and other objects and advantages inherent in the inventions will become more readily apparent from the following specifications and the drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is an exploded view of one embodiment of the invention partly in axial section;

FIG. 2 is an axial sectional view of the structure of FIG. 1 showing the parts assembled;

FIG. 2A is a perspective view of the protective retainer sleeve;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary axial sectional View of another embodiment of the invention; and

FIG. 4 is a still further embodiment shown in side elevation with the shank portions detached.

DESCRIPTION OF FIGS. l, 2y AND 2A The button holder generally designated 2 comprises a shank assembly 3 which includes an upper preferably solid cylindrical portion 4 which telescopes into a bore 5 of a hollow tubular lower portion 6. The portion 4 may have any of a series of transverse apertures 7, 7 which Patented June 8, 1971 JCC are adapted to register with any selected transverse or apertures 8, 8 in the lower portion 6.

The upper portion 4 comprises an upper annular mounting disk or plate 10 which affords a seat for the base 11 of a button 12. The base 11 and the upper face 14 of the disk 10 may be adhered by any suitable adhesive or epoxy resin or a thread (not shown) may be drawn through the openings 15 in the button and matching openings 16 in flange plate 10 as Well known.

The lower portion 6 has a flaring lower end portion 18 which `merges with the top side 19 of the annular disklike flange 20 and medially of the bottom side 22 of the flange 20 there is provided a generally spherical male snap projection 24, which is adapted to deform and be forced through the opening into the spherical socket 26 metal snap element 27 which is an annular ilat structure having a plurality (preferably four) holes 28 through which thread loops 29 are sewn and to the garment 30 therebeneath as well known. The disk 27, being metal, need not be removed in cleaning and pressing the garment.

It will be noted that flange 20 is about of the same diameter as snap 27 and is flexible so that upon the bulbous part 32 of the projection 24 being forced past the constricted opening 25 it will wedge against the confining similarly shaped wall 31 of the pocket 26 as seen in FIG. 2 whereby wedging the shank assembly downwardly tending to transversely align the narrow part 33 of the projection 26 with the edge of the constricted opening 25. Since base ange 20 is deformable any thread projecting above the plane of the metal snap element 27 will indent the flange 20 so that it will seat adjacent to its perimeter 35 against the bead 36 of the snap 27 so that there is no likelhood of developing a gap therebetween thus passing the garment between flange 20 and snap 27.

A further feature of the invention resides in providing a recess 38 in each side of the shank portion 6 to conne the thread 39 as seen in FIG. 2 therein so that it does not bulge or extend beyond the outer periphery 40 of shank portion 6, when thread is used to secure the upper and lower shank portions 4 and 6 as in FIG. 2, it being understood that nylon or even metal pins could be used to secure the upper and lower portions 4 and 6 through selected aligned apertures 7 and 8.

A protective plastic retainer sleeve 42, also preferably formed of nylon or similar material, is snugly telescoped over the lower shank portion and is provided `with transverse diametric slots or apertures 44, which are alignable with the selected apertures 7 and 8 through which the securing means, thread or pins, are inserted. Then the protective sleeve is turned or rotated 90 thus covering the securing means and protecting the same as well as securing it in place.

DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENT OF FIGURE 3 In this embodiment parts similar to or identical with those of the previous embodiment are identified by the same reference characters. This embodiment illustrates the button-mounting upper disk flange 10a as being concavo-convex, the concave side 14a deforms against the ilat base 11 of the button 12a when thread (not shown) is sewn through the selected apertures 15a, 16a in the button and flange and drawn taut.

In this embodiment the button may also be provided with a bottom eyelet element which may be centered on the button and extends through a central aperture or bore 51 in the upper shank portion 4a of the shank assembly 3a.

The portion 4a is longitudinally adjustable with respect to portion 6 and has apertures 8 `which are alignable with apertures 7, the uppermost of which may align with the eye `53 in the eyelet for reception of a pin 54 which is held in location by the retainer sleeve 42 as in the previous embodiment, the sleeve having slots 44, 4S (not shown) for insertion and withdrawal of pin 54 as well as pin or pins 55 which extend through aligned apertures 7, 8.

Thus this embodiment also has an adjustable shank and protective means for securing the locking thread or pin.

EMBODIMENT `OF FIGURE 4 In this embodiment in which parts identical with those of the previous embodiments will be similarly numbered, a button 75 with an eye structure 76 extending from the center of the base side 77 is shown. The shank assembly generally designated 78, is formed of plastic such as nylon or the like, comprises a pair of elongated legs 7 91, 801which are arranged in a V and at the apex 82 merge into the top side 83 of the base disk flange 84 which on its underside has the male prong 32 adapted to cooperate with a snap 27.

The upper end portion of leg 79 comprises a female element 85 and leg 80 has a male element 86. The female element is tubular and has a series of ridges or annular beads 87 therein which are spaced axially 0f the bore 88 which is open at one end 89 to receive the bulbous head end 90 of the male element. The head end is necked down at 91 and there are formed a plurality of annular beads or ridges 92 spaced longitudinally of leg 80. Since the element 85 is stretchable and element 79 compressible the two are mated and by determining the penetration of element 86 the shank assembly is lengthened or shortened. These elements 85, 86 are passed through the eye of the button and extend transversely thereof whereby the load on the connection as effected by interlocking of the ridges 87, 92 is transverse thereto whereby the parts are urged into locking engagement. In this embodiment the female tubular part protects the connection and the shank is adjustable to elongate or shorten.

Several preferred embodiments have been disclosed which are not intended to limit the invention but merely to show examples of at least several best modes of utilizing the inventions.

I claim:

1. A button assembly comprising a shank, means on the shank for attachment of a button to one end and to a garment at the other end, and said means on said one end of the shank being tlexible and distortable to conform to the shape of the button attached thereto for close tting contact therewith.

2. A button assembly comprising a shank having button attachment means at one end and means for attachment to a garment at the other end, said button attachment means being made of exible, temporarily distortable plastic material of a polymer resin and the like and comprising a concave-convex. disk-like element abuttable against the mating side of a button adapted to be secured thereto, and means for deforming said element into cornplementary conformance with said mating side of the button secured thereto to preclude gapping therebetween.

3. A button assembly comprising a longitudinally adjustable shank including means for attachment of a button to one end and to a garment at the other end, and means for securing the shank in selected adjusted position, and said shank having a base, a female snap adapted for securement to a garment by thread and the like normally projecting beyond the plane of the snap, a prong on the base adapted to be inserted into the snap and locked therein, said base formed of plastic material temporarily deformable to provide indents for the thread securing the snap to the garment whereby said base effects a snug engagement with the snap and eliminates garmentsnagging gaps therebetween.

4. The invention according to claim 3 and said shank comprising a pair of legs connected to said base, said legs having distal ends remote from the base and interengaging means on said distal ends of the legs.

5. A button assembly comprising a longitudinally adjustable shank including means for attachment of a button to one end and to a garment at the other end, and means for securing the shank in selected adjusted position, and said shank comprising a pair of legs arranged essentially in a V, said legs having distal ends, and interengaging means on the distal ends of said legs for releasably securing the same to each other.

6. The invention according to claim 1 and said shank comprising inner and outer telescoped portions having transverse alignable apertures, and said securing means comprising a thread looped through selected pairs of apertures, and said outer portion having thread accommodating recesses in the periphery thereof spanning the spaces between the apertures.

7. The invention according to claim 6 and said retainer means comprising a cylindrical sleeve telescoped over said portions in a tight slip fit with said outer portion and having apertures alignable in one position with selected apertures in said portions to accommodate sewing thread therethrough and rotatable to a position displacing said apertures therein with respect to the selected apertures in said portion and clamping the thread between itself and said portions and shielding the thread against abrasion.

8. A button assembly comprising a longitudinally adjustable shank including means for attachment of a button to one end and to a garment at the other end, said shank comprising a pair of plastic temporarily deformable portions having telescoping relation with each other, and securing means associated with said portions for releasably securing the same in selected adjusted positions.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,258,942 3/1918 Piper 24-90 1,323,699 12/1919 Kochenkoif 24-9 lX 1,349,649 8/ 1920 Arthur 24-91 LEONARD D. CHRISTIAN, Primary Examiner 

